


Young Justice: The Batman

by The_Uninformed_Zennial



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Adrenaline, Arkham Asylum, Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, Barbara Gordon is a badass, Comfort, Dick Grayson Deserves Better, Dick Grayson Needs a Break, Dick Grayson Whump, Dick Grayson is Batman, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson-centric, Everyone Needs A Hug, Gen, Hurt Dick Grayson, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Joker (DCU) Has Issues, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Minor Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, OC, OR IS IT, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Barbara Gordon, POV Joker (DCU), Past Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Stitches, Tim Drake Needs a Break, Tim Drake is Bad at Self-Care, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake is Robin, Tim Drake is a fanboy, Young Justice Season 2, and a break, barbara gordon needs a break, bat-fam centric, dick grayson is tired, for a small section, mwahhahahaha, pre-damian batfam, you'll never know - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28621104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Uninformed_Zennial/pseuds/The_Uninformed_Zennial
Summary: Do we remember that time in Young Justice Season 2 when Batman ran off with the rest of the Justice League leaving Nightwing to take care of the team, Gotham City, Bludhaven, and the secret operation he was running with Kaldur? Yeah, WHY DID NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS ON THE SHOW!?!? (poor Dick must've been running himself ragged). Anyway, this is what I think could've happened in Gotham during that time period. Beware, there is plenty of angst, canon-level gore and violence, feels, and more.Or...Dick sat a with his feet dangling off the edge of a building in midtown Gotham, filling his lungs deeply with the disgusting air around him. It was the first time he felt like he could actually breathe since agreeing to moonlight as Batman while Bruce went to international court with the rest of the Justice League. Between his responsibilities to the team, his secret operation with Kaldur, dealing with the hellhole that was Bludhaven and playing dress up as Batman with Tim, Dick found that he had no time for himself or really anything other than sleep. So a moment to breathe air unhindered by a mask was refreshing
Relationships: Barbara Gordon & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson
Comments: 24
Kudos: 79





	1. The Goodbye

**Happy Harbor - January 26th**

The wind whipped through the shrubbery bringing the cool midnight air off the ever rolling tide. Seagulls squawking in the distance provided a peaceful soundtrack to the heartbreaking evening. Six of the Justice League’s heaviest hitters as well as their various sidekicks and loved ones lined the beach in clumps, saying goodbye and welcoming an uncertain future. In the darkest corner of the beach stood none other than the Bat and his three proteges, Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl. Their goodbye was the least tearful of all.

Batman had just finished laying down the law for Gotham, appointing Robin and Batgirl as it’s main protectors, but hoping Nightwing would be able to stop by more frequently than he had in recent years and, reluctantly, take on the mantle of the Bat when necessary, to keep up appearances and what-not. It went without saying that, should the justice league not return, the responsibilities of Batman would fall to Dick permanently. This sent a shudder down the young hero’s spine. He never wanted to be Batman, the cowl and the cape seemed too stuffy, too stiff, too… suffocating. Yet despite the many failings in their relationship and the albatross of the Bat’s mantle, Dick assured his mentor that he’d be there for the city they both gave so much for. They had already discussed all this in private though, the vocal acknowledgement was really more of a show for Batgirl and Robin. So Dick found it slightly disconcerting when Batman gave him a funny look before pulling his oldest son into a surprisingly warm embrace. However, he didn’t push further, assuming that Bruce would’ve planned for as many contingencies as he could before leaving, and left instructions for those he hadn’t. Still, he decided to tuck the feeling away for further examination later.

After a very emotionally suppressed goodbye hug with the rest of his proteges, Batman turned to the rest of the league members readying himself for the long flight ahead. Dick couldn’t help himself from calling out,

“Be careful out there!”

The fearsome Bat turned around slightly, a strange expression (one that a foolish man might’ve mistaken for fear) graced his face. His growl was lighter and more shaky than usual when he looked his oldest protege in the eye and said, “I fear we leave the more dangerous task with you here on earth.”

Dick knew all of the nightmarish scenarios that were running through Bruce’s head right now. The possibility of Joker’s return, or an Arkham breakout, or another dead Robin, or a million other different situations that no one, not even the Bat, could prepare for. So Dick turned to the girl he loved and his little brother, both standing tall and fearless underneath the shadow of the moonlight. He smiled a little thinking about how far the both of them had come in the short time they had been working with Batman. Tim, who had only one year worth of experience under his belt was already a better hacker than Dick, and while his hand to hand combat could use some work, he had faced off against the likes of Clayface on his own and handled it well. Barbara had joined the work three years ago and Dick at this point honestly saw her more as a partner than a sidekick, she was comparable to him in all aspects of the work, despite his 6 extra years experience. They both were ready, and they knew it.

He turned back to his mentor, his guardian… his friend, and cracked a crooked smile on his face, “We’ll manage.”

And that was that. The next thing he knew, Batman was being elevated into the sky with the rest of the Justice League, headed to a trial that would determine their futures. A deep, gnawing, sinking feeling clutched the bottom of his stomach. It was like losing his parents, losing Jason, all over again. What if he didn’t come back? What if this was the last time he’d ever see his guardian, his friend? What if… what if he had to become the Bat? Dick didn’t realize how heavy the burden he was taking upon himself was, even as his head swam with emotion and he plastered on a face void of worry or fear. He would soon learn.

“Hey Timbo,” he asked, turning to face his brother, “What’d you say to you and me having a sleepover at the Manor?”

His light blue eyes lit up immediately, “Really?”

Dick let his smile increase exponentially, “Yeah, I mean, as long as you guys and Alfred don’t mind...?” He glanced up to Barbara and could see her visibly relax. He knew he hadn’t been the only one to feel the weight of Bruce’s absence.

“Mind? Why would I… oh.” His brother’s excitement dropped, “Is this one of those, ‘you want to keep an eye on me while Bruce is gone but don’t want to actually tell me about it cause you think I’ll get mad’ things?”

Dick dropped down on one knee so his brother was closer to eye level, “Of course not Tim, I just want to make sure that our time together doesn’t get lost between all my new responsibilities with the team and Bludhaven and now Batman.” _Not to mention the undercover operation he was still running with Kaldur._ “You matter to me, little bro.” he added, ruffing the young Robin’s hair.

The boy didn’t even bother to swat his hands away, but simply looked down in pure adoration and shyly muttered, “Oh.”

Dick stood up, “So does that mean yes?”

His brother nodded his head shyly and Dick was flooded with relief.

He hadn’t entirely lied to Tim, he did want to spend time with his little brother and knew that staying in Gotham was the best way to ensure that happened. However, he also knew that between trying to run the team, shadow for Batman, and still manage to go out as Nightwing, he would have very little time for a day job, which meant paying for an apartment would expend a lot of his already tight savings. Besides, he had already talked it over with Bruce (who had tried to offer him money in exchange for his services, which just felt wrong to Dick at the time) and the two had decided that Dick staying in Gotham would be best, just in case. ...You know? Not that anything would happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

\--------

**Gotham City - April 22nd (3 months later…)**

The shattered glass became enveloped in the dark brown frays of the carpet as muddied black boots crushed them into dust. The only sound echoing into the elaborate hallway was the sharp crunch of another footstep. The intruder was tall and muscular, his shadow somehow seemed fitting in the hauntingly silent mansion. Still, the man’s head whipped around at any hint of movement. A curtain flipped and twisted in the wind. The intruder instantly pulled a gun out of it’s holster, aiming it directly at the cause of the disturbance. A silent breath forced its way out of his mouth as he realized there was no threat... yet. He figured anyone else would be embarrassed at his quick reaction, but he knew better than most. 

You never could be too careful in Wayne Manor.


	2. The Weight of the Cowl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ridiculous get-up, the impossible standards, the weight of the world on your shoulders. Dick never wanted to be Batman, but unfortunately fate never seemed to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one if full of angst, but internally from Dick's perspective, so it might be a bit more boring than some of the other chapters I'm working on. I promise the next one is going to be really action-packed and exciting, so just bare with me for now.

**Gotham City - February 1st**

The darkness enclosed all around him, pushing against the fragile skin on his cheekbones, rubbing against the scar on his forehead, suffocating his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. When did it all become so heavy? He forced his mouth open and demanded air fill his empty lungs, breathing it in for a count of ten, holding it for three, and letting it out for another ten. Then he opened his eyes.

Standing before him was the Bat, in all his gloomy glory. God, he felt strange. He moved slightly, checking himself out in the mirror. It was uncanny how similarly he looked to Bruce. Everything from the boots, to the posture, to the jawline, it was all the same... with one incredibly noticeable difference, the smile that refused to move from its place across his face. He tried to stop smiling, he really did, but it was all just so ridiculous. 

Standing there in the batsuit only made Dick remember all the times he had tried it on for size when he was young. Running around the batcave, jumping off of various stalactites growling “I am vengeance! I am the night!” to the frightened hordes of bats before flinging himself into Bruce’s arms. He always caught him, no matter what. 

His smile started to fade… there was no one here to catch him this time. This time if he failed it would be all on him, there wasn’t even a Superman to call to save the day. He knew and trusted his team to back him up if he ever needed it, but they were his team and ultimately his responsibility. If they died on his watch. He shuddered to think, glancing down towards his feet, but he caught a glimpse of his own reflection on the way down. Only, when he looked back in the mirror this time it wasn’t him that he saw anymore, it was Bruce. 

Slightly spooked, he flipped off the cowl and heard the soft footsteps of Barbara coming down the stairs into the changing room. She didn’t even bother to knock before entering.

“I heard laughter and assumed you must’ve tried on the suit.”

Dick’s childish grin plastered back onto his face faster than Wally could’ve devoured a slice of pizza, “Yeah,” He said, holding the cape out around him and giving himself a little twirl as if he were some girl buying a dress for prom, “it just feels so ridiculous, like…” He pulled the cowl back up over his head, put his hands up near his chest like a zombie and stretched his fingers like wolf claws before lightly growling, “I am the night!” and bursting into laughter. “How is anyone gonna take  _ me _ seriously in this?”

Babs just stood there staring at him, silently looking him up and down before shaking her head. “Wow.” she said, “The resemblance is uncanny.” She stepped back towards the door, turned her head up the stairs and shouted, “Timmy, Alfred, you’ve got to come see this! Dick’s tried on the batsuit…” She poked her head back in to look at Dick’s face before tilting her head and grimacing slightly, “Lose the smile and you’ve got it.”

Tim was the first one through the door, busting in already suited up in his Robin costume, trying desperately to hide the fanboy daring to rise to the surface of his carefully crafted Robin demeanor. He was a good actor, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hide the gleam glowing in his slowly widening eyes.

He stood there motionless for a moment before breathing out, “Wow.” for an incredibly long and awkward amount of time.

“What do you think squirt? Am I a good enough Batman to cover your Robin?”

The kid blushed like all get out and hastily shook his head in the affirmative. 

Dick smiled, “Well I guess we should go out on patrol then.”

Tim grinned and bounded off down the stairs into the garage area of the batcave. Dick followed closely behind, but was stopped by Alfred before he could fully leave the sweat stained interior of the bathroom. The older man looked at him approvingly before steadily grasping his shoulder and staring at his eyes for a moment, a strange look coming across his face. Pity? Pride? Dick couldn't tell because Alfred quickly regained his composure and pat the young man on the back, “Very good sir. I hope the suit isn’t too restricting for you.”

Dick smiled at his pseudo grandfather before laughing lightly, “Fits like a glove. Thanks for asking Alfie. I’ll let you know if I need any adjustments made.”

Barbara took this as the perfect opportunity to bump into Dick, “Don’t you have a patrol to get started?”

Dick glanced at Barbara and then at the time, “Why do you always have to be right?”

The two vigilantes began walking down the steps towards the various batmobiles and batcycles tucked between stalagmites near the largest entrance to the cave. 

“Because I’m smarter than you,” She looked him up and down once more, “and prettier too.”

He sighed, “No arguing with that logic.” 

She stepped infinitesimally closer to him, so that they were breathing the same air, their body heat touching the exposed skin underneath their masks. He could see every detail of her face. She leaned in as if going for a kiss before quickly turning away and laughing.

“Alright Dark Knight, go get your picture taken with the boy wonder out there so I can come join you on patrol later.”

Dick shook his head and lightly whispered to himself, “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that name.”

Apparently Barbara heard. “Which one?” she asked innocently, “Boy Wonder, or Dark Knight.”

He grinned as he hopped into the driver’s seat of the batmobile, “Either.” 

He turned to his little brother as the door closed behind him, “So, where to first?”

**Arkham Asylum, Gotham City - February 13th**

The room was darkness, illuminated by a single source of flickering pale light. A lone figure sat in a chair across from the source. His eyes reflected an unnatural green color when they picked up the brightness. His inhumanely long and ghostly white fingernails dug into the arms of the plush seat. Yet despite his distress he wore a smile, sickly and haunting in it’s conception.

“Bird’s will play while the Bat’s away.” He chimed cheerfully. Until the light flickered once more to a darker shape.

His face contorted into anger, his smile shifting into something more like a grimace. He dug his nails into the chair once more, ripping bits of stuffing out along with the fabric. He pushed himself up off the chair as much as he could without removing his hands, staring deep into the light source.

“IMPOSTER!!!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, thrashing and repeating the phrase for a few moments until the screen flickered again.

He quickly settled himself down again, finally removing his hands from the arms of the chair and instead resting his elbows on his knees and placing his face in his hands. A look of genuine concern washed over his face as he stared into the brightness again.

“Where are you batsy?” He asked, a single tear falling down his cheek.

The screen flashed again. His haunting smile returned.

“I might not know where you are, but I do know how to get you back. Don’t worry batsy,” his smile became even more dangerous, “I’ll save you.”


	3. The Joker's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin's will play while the Bat's away....
> 
> How will Robin handle an Arkham breakout without his fearless leader?

**Bludhaven - February 23rd**

Dick sat in the Nightwing suit with his feet dangling off the edge of the fire escape of a building in midtown Bludhaven, filling his lungs deeply with the dirt and smog filled air around him. Yet, it was the first time he felt like he could actually breathe since agreeing to moonlight as Batman while Bruce went to intercosmic court or whatever with the rest of the Justice League. Between his responsibilities to the team, his secret operation with Kaldur, dealing with the hellhole that was Bludhaven and playing dress up as Batman with Tim, Dick found that he had no time for himself... or really anything other than sleep. So a moment to breathe air unhindered by a cowl or the ringing of a cell phone or the fear that someone would see him, was refreshing to say the least.

He should’ve known it wouldn’t last long.

One minute he was staring down at the cesspool of the city he called home and the next he was being enveloped by a cloud of green fog. He quickly reached for his rebreather and mentally sighed, just your typical Tuesday in Gotham’s sister city. But, the rebreather wasn’t on his toolbelt which meant...

“Hello little birdie. _ ”  _ The voice from behind him combined with the coolness of a gun barrel touching his head sent shivers up Dick’s spine. The Joker. The last time he had been seen was after his attempted U.N. Bombing, right after… Jason. Dick grit his teeth, holding his feelings in along with his breath. One slip and he was done for.

“Miss me?” He could hear the grin in his captor’s voice before the crack of the gun swiping across the back of his head turned everything dark. Maniacal laughter followed shortly thereafter, escorting him into the depths of unconsciousness.

**Gotham City - February 24th**

Thirteen hours. 

Dick had been missing for thirteen hours. Tim shouldn’t have started to worry, Dick had disappeared for far longer before. He had probably just gotten caught up in case over in Bludhaven and hadn’t had the chance to check his cell phone yet. Besides, he probably knew Tim could handle Gotham, and he was right… for the most part. It was just, with the recent Arkham breakout, Tim had kinda hoped Dick would make an appearance in the Batsuit, scare off a few thugs, you know, the works. Especially since Batgirl was still training with the team in Happy Harbor and wasn’t due back for another couple of days. Gotham only had one bat left. It was just Tim and a bunch of crazy maniacs in a city full of civilians. But, if Dick thought he could handle it, he could handle it.

\-----  **Five Hours Later** \-----

He couldn’t handle it.

He spent the first three hours after the breakout on Scarecrow alone. The rogue had immediately begun terrorizing citizens with the newest brand of his fear formula the second he got out of arkham.  _ Handle the most immediate and imminent threats first. _ Bruce had told him during his first breakout with Tim.  _ Rogues like the Mad Hatter and even Joker can wait. They tend to plan their attacks before executing them. _ So, that’s exactly what he had done. Scarecrow was back in Arkham with the few prisoners who hadn’t managed to escape and Tim was free to move on to the next threat. Only, he had no leads, no back-up and no indication as to who would strike first. Also, he hadn’t slept in over twenty four hours and exhaustion was beginning to weigh on him. He decided to call in to the batcave.

“Agent A?” He asked his comm link as he seated himself on the batcycle.

“Master Robin,” the british butler began, never dropping his ever formal attitude, “how is it out there?”

“Oh,” he said, putting on his helmet, “you know,” the engine revved, “absolute chaos. Any word from Batgirl yet?” Hope dripped from his tone more than he had wanted. He could handle this, he just had to believe in himself. He could do it.

“I’m afraid not sir.”

“Oh.” The disappointment soaked through his skin and settled deep into his bones.

“However, there has been some breakthrough on the Nightwing front.” Alfred paused slightly, as if in anticipation, which was disconcerting, “I’m afraid none of it’s good.”

Fear hit his gut like a punch to the stomach. “I’m on my way. Eta fifteen minutes.”

Alfred coughed to clear his throat, a really, really bad sign, “Very good sir, I’ll see you when you arrive.”

He spent the rest of the drive in silence, staring straight at the road, but not registering anything flying past him. He was too busy hoping his big brother, his idol, was okay.

**Undisclosed Location Near Gotham City - February 24th**

Dick woke up to the smell of popcorn and roasted peanuts. Memories (or were they dreams?) of taking care of Zitka and flying through the air with his parents gave him warmth despite the cold weather. Had he accidentally fallen asleep on the practice mats again? He lifted his eyes and was met with a blurry picture. He closed and opened them again, blinking a few times until the scene became clear. He was not at Halys.

“Wakey Wakey little birdie.” The cracked voice sapped away any residual comfort Dick might’ve had from his dreams and replaced them all with cold hatred.

He immediately sat up from his position on the floor, anger contorting his face to something nearly unrecognizable. He wanted to yank on the chains, pull himself free. He wanted to hit the man in front of him over and over again until he was unrecognizable. But he couldn’t. The fact that he wasn’t dead yet meant Joker needed him for something, which meant he had something even worse planned for Gotham and it was up to Dick to figure it out.

“What do you want, Joker?” He asked, all his usual cheer drained by a singular thought,  _ this man killed my brother _ .

The Joker took a step back, placing a hand over his heart, “No jokes for your old pal? Why so serious Wonder Boy?”

“You sure as hell know why.” he growled.

Joker giggled, “No need to get so nasty little nightingale. I’m just trying to have some fun, like the kind I had with the little wing. He’s screams still help me fall asleep at night.”

“You bastard!” Dick rushed forward with all his might, not caring that his hands and arms were still attached to chains behind his back. Not feeling the pain of the metal digging into his skin. All he could think about was how much he wanted to hurt… no, how much he wanted to kill the Joker.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he waved his finger while using the other hand to push a button on a remote he held. 

Waves of electricity flooded Dick’s body. Like tendrils of fire running through the chains on his wrists and ankles and into his stomach and chest. It was only a second, but it felt like an eternity. By the time the pain stopped he was slumped on the floor gasping for air.

“No one’s flying the coop anytime soon.” The Joker’s grin spread more maliciously over his face as he crouched closer to Dick, cupping his chin in his free hand, “Now tell me, where’s the real Batman?”

  
  
  


**Safehouse in Gotham - February 25th**

A masked figure dressed in darkness. His hands masterfully unwrapped a series of straps on a harness of sorts, tightening them around his thighs. He threw on a worn leather jacket and reached for the table that stood nearby. He grabbed two pistols, loading and placing them in the harness on his legs before looking back at a helmet that sat on a shelf behind him. He hesitated before walking towards the door, but he knew he couldn’t stop. Nightwing had been missing for two days, which meant time was running out. The man closed the door behind him, clicking the lock into place, and readied himself to find the Joker.


	4. The Wrath of Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick has been kidnapped by the Joker while Gotham is under seige. With Tim busy cleaning up the streets, and Barbara unreachable, who will save the original boy wonder?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one feels a little different from previous chapters, it took me a lot longer to write it all out than the rest. Hopefully I'll get chapter 5 out by the end of the week. So, stay tuned and please enjoy!
> 
> Also, thanks to my beta, SuperSilverSpy for encouraging me to write by making sure I didn't fall off the face of the earth last week. 
> 
> See you guys next update!

**Batcave, Outside Gotham City - February 24th (4:58 pm)**

“Kidnapped!?!” Tim’s incredulous cry rang throughout the caverns of the dark base of operations.

“I’m afraid so Master Timothy.” Alfred’s strained voice confirmed over the steam of the freshly brewed pot of coffee he held in his worn hands.

“Kidnapped... for eighteen hours. Do you know how much damage someone can do in eighteen hours?” He asked, sitting down behind the batcomputer to try and gather more information about the incident. He didn’t want this to be real, but he had to move forward, to press on no matter what. It’s what Batman would do.

“I try not to think about it sir,” was Alfred’s reply. 

Tim took a sip of the warm brown liquid sitting next to him in a mug. It was bitter and strong, rejuvenating him from the inside out. He stretched his hands towards the keyboard, anxious to get to work. He wanted to find Joker and end his brother’s suffering. He just hoped he wasn’t too late. He cracked his fingers and started typing away at the keys in front of him. He was ready for the nightmare to be over.

**Undisclosed Location Near Gotham City - February 26th (11:00 pm)**

Dick wasn’t ready for the nightmare to begin. It was torture. Joker had been coming in at various random intervals throughout the day and night, asking him the same question over and over.  _ Where is the real Batman? _ When Dick refused to answer, he’d gotten shot, stabbed, electrocuted, (one time he even got beaten with a crowbar… which was a particularly angering experience), you know, regular torture stuff. If he wasn’t so pissed off and exhausted he might’ve been offended, both by the question, considering he had been the one posing as Batman until his recent kidnapping, and the mediocre forms of torture. As it was though, he just wanted some sleep. But of course, he couldn’t get any, because whenever his eyes started to droop, the nightmares started.

Whether they were real machinations of his sleep deprived mind or just hallucinations, Dick didn’t know. All he knew was that they were worse than the Scarecrow’s fear toxin, and that stuff was terrible. Every time he closed his eyes he was met with a bruised and bloodied Jason dying in his arms, or Tim curling up in a ball, running away from his oldest brother in fear. He couldn’t say how many times he watched Wally or Kaldur or Artemis or Barbara get stabbed in front of him. Or how many times he witnessed his team get massacred in horrible, violent ways. He’d jolt awake, wrists uncomfortably clanging against the metal on his skin, and breathe for a few seconds, until the Joker came in with another round of B-rated torture. After one particularly bad dream, he actually started to thank the maniac for the reprieve. 

So suffice it to say, when he started to feel his eyes get heavy as the next evening wore on, he shook his head and cried. He wasn’t ready to face his fears again. He couldn’t hold another lifeless body in his hands. He couldn’t bury another friend. He called out, begging for someone, anyone, to just end it. To make the nightmares stop. All he got in reply was cruel laughter. His eyes began to close of their own accord and tears seeped out of the sides of the ever-narrowing slits.

Just as the openings grew too faint to see out of, Dick heard a large explosion and felt something heavy slam against his head. This time when his eyes closed, it was not the corpses of his loved ones that welcomed him, but rather the cool arms of darkness. He went willingly into the night.

**Batcave, Outside Gotham City - February 26th (5:17 PM)**

The cave came alive with the roar of an engine pulling into the docking bay. The batmobile’s purrs slowly came to a halt as the machine was turned off. The door opened and a flash of blood red hair pooled out of the driver’s side exit. The woman walked with purpose driving each and every step. Every part of her body screamed cool and calculating, despite her frantic eyes which gave away the true emotion she felt.

She’d been gone, what, two days? Maybe three? And of course, as soon as she turned her cell phone off Gotham fell to shit. Apparently, life just didn’t want to give Babs a break. So, she planned on making life a living hell for the assholes that called her week-long girl’s night off. Starting with the residents of the Batcave. 

It was surprising one of the two idiots hadn’t come bumbling in to see her yet, especially if the city had been being run as rampant as all the news reports that had beckoned for her return had claimed. She figured the boys would need all the help they could get. Plus, Tim was a huge fanboy and Dick was lowkey obsessed with her. So, yeah, the lack of a warm welcome was maybe a little more frightening than she gave it credit for. 

The young woman steeled herself, preparing for the possibility of a fight (what else could’ve detained the boys?) as she entered the hub of the batcave. However, as she entered into the main hub of the catacomb, she found the scene surprisingly serene. The Batcomputer was still open, about twenty different video feeds running from all over Gotham, showing the city in varying levels of destruction and chaos. She shifted her focus down off the screen and onto the chair in front of it. Gotham was being overrun, and where was Tim? Passed out on the keyboard, his nose pressing against the “z” key, which was slowly filling up an empty word document page with the neverending letter. 

As much as she would’ve liked to let the kid take a nap (he so very rarely slept of his own accord), she knew that there were way too many things left for the two of them to do, and Dick wouldn’t approve of either of them slacking off. Speaking of which…

“Where’s Dick?” she prodded the younger boy slightly in the ribs while asking the question.

His small body instantly flew into action, grabbing his bow staff (which was unfortunately very close by) and simultaneously slinging a punch towards Barbara’s face. She caught it easily, and it seemed the touch brought the kid back into the present moment.

“Batgirl?” he mumbled through heavy gulps of air.

“Hey Robin,” she spoke quiet and evenly, this was not the normal amount of paranoia she expected from this kid, and she normally expected a lot. Something was wrong. “Where’s Dick?”

The kid looked down in shame. Shit. “What happened?” she asked, hoping the boy would snap out of it and give her some real answers.

“H-he’s been,” the boy wonder gulped, “kidnapped.”

“How long?”

“Sixty-six hours give or take.”

“Shit.” she mumbled, sitting down at the computer, getting ready to worm her way through every bit of information the kid had gathered. “So you’ve been handling the breakout all by yourself?” she pulled up the notes he had been working on and began to read. 

The boy mumbled, “Yeah”

She gave him a reassuring smile, “Not too bad, boy wonder.”

Within seconds his face matched the color of his tunic.

It took her a minute to pick through all the research he had compiled, but when she was done she had a pretty decent understanding of the situation. Dick had, in fact, been kidnapped about two days ago. According to the security camera feed from across the street from where he was last seen, it looked like the Joker was the culprit. Which, of course, meant that his rescue would have to wait. Joker was one of those villains who was patient and waited for the right moment to set his plans in motion, and currently Gotham was facing at least two other rogues who did not have that kind of restraint.

“C’mon Tim,” Barbara said, pushing back the chair and standing up, “We have a city to protect.”

Tim nodded in agreement and straightened his hair a bit, before dropping his demeanor ever so slightly, “But, what about Dick?”

“Dick can take care of himself.” She lied. “But there are plenty of people out there who won’t survive without us.”

The not-so-dynamic duo finished taking stock of their equipment and headed towards the batmobile. As the two sped off away from the manor, the sharp pang of guilt stabbed Barbara in the gut. They were leaving Dick to fend for himself against the man who killed his younger brother. Hopefully he would make it out alive, and hopefully when he did, he’d forgive them. There was no one to save him now. 

**Undisclosed Location Near Gotham City - February 26th (11:00 pm)**

The Joker’s sickly pale skin glistened with the ugly red sheen of blood. His hands were covered in the stuff, drawn from the captured hero in the next room, but the freshest came from a gaping hole in his head that dripped down into his eye. The man burst into maniacal, uncontrollable laughter and rocked himself back and forth. With every breath he’d sing a new song he’d been working on for the last few days, “While the bat’s away, the bird’s will play…” He hadn’t come up with the rest, but planned on filling it with lots of anger and violence, he just didn’t have the right muse. Thankfully, he had a feeling that his writer’s block (composer’s block?) was about to get a kick in the pants. As a red helmeted figure rose up from the ashes of the recently renovated hole in his lovely warehouse, the madman knew he was right.

“Who’s this new player in the game?” He laughed, “Are you the king of hearts or the Ace of Diamonds?”

The figure pulled a gun out of a holster on the side of his frame, “I’m the man who’s gonna put a bullet in your brain.”

“Oooooh,” the criminal clown clapped, “how fun!”

The man stepped closer, raising his weapon in the air, “but not today clownface.”

Before the sickly white man had a chance to whine in complaint, the hand with the gun came down on his head in a singular forceful strike and the clown prince of crime collapsed into darkness.  _ Oh well, better luck next time! _


	5. Home at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The man who undermined the Joker has the former boy wonder in his clutches while Batgirl and Robin are off dealing with an Arkham breakout. How is Dick gonna get himself out of this one?

**Batcave, Outside Gotham City - February 27th (12:01 am)**

The smell of smoke and gunpowder clung to the brown leather arms that were wrapped around the limp figure of Nightwing. The large man carrying the eerily still creature moved through the dark cavern with the expertise of someone who had lived in caves his entire life. Gentle footsteps brushed against soft dirt, carefully avoiding any fallen rocks that could potentially give away his location. His breath was hitched, his movements controlled. He was silent and deadly, in every sense of the word. 

He crept out from the shadows and slunk into the medical bay of the darkened cave, depositing his precious cargo on an empty gurney before pulling a syringe out of a pocket in his jacket and slowly pushing the liquid into the prone man’s forearm. The blue hero began to stir and his silent saviour reached for the wrist restraints on a table nearby. By the time they were firmly fastened, Nightwing was fully awake. 

“Y-you aren’t…the” he paused, ”...Joker?” the mumbled words came out of the barely awake young man.

His masked savior spoke through a voice modulator, “No. He’s incapacitated for the moment.” 

The young man began to pull on the restraints that kept him to the bed. “What’re these for?” He asked, pretending to be more inebriated than he actually was. 

The man with the jacket did not reply. After he finished threading a needle he turned back to his unwilling patient, “Stay still. This is gonna hurt.”

Nightwing didn’t move or make a sound, as he had been commanded, but rather took in his captor. Making mental notes of the man’s body language, the precision with which he handled the needle, and the way in which he took care of his patient. Nightwing took these pieces and tried to figure out who the man in front of him was. A profile, if you will. The man obviously had experience with this sort of thing before, his hands moved the needle too steadily for anything else to be true, and his movements were strangely familiar to the more seasoned hero, but that really wasn’t anything to go off of. Dick had come into contact with almost every single member of the superhero community and at least half their villains at one point or another. He’d been doing this for a very long time. And, considering the mask, his new or old friend/enemy probably didn’t want his identity to be revealed just yet. Still, Nightwing knew he needed to get as much information about the man out of him as possible. So, he decided to go with the most practical question he could think of through his pain-addled brain.

“What am I doing here?”

The man paused, mid stitch, and looked at the hero in front of him. “I’d think that’d be obvious by now.” came the monotonous voice. 

Was that sarcasm or an insult? Maybe both?  _ It doesn’t matter _ , the voice of Batman whispered in his brain,  _ just keep the lunatic talking. _

“I mean,” Nightwing paused to suck in a deep breath from a particularly painful stitch his captor had been working on, “How come you saved me?”

The man gave no answer, instead opting to pour alcohol on the next wound he decided needed his attention. Dick hissed in pain. The burning sensation creeping into every corner of the cut that had been delivered to his exposed chest. It was too much to handle so soon after the trauma. His brain flashed back to his imprisonment with the Joker for a moment, a particularly bad nightmare he had faced that depicted his younger brother being beaten by the crowbar his autopsy report had stated. Yet, before he could realize what was happening, he was calling out Jason’s name. Only the clatter of the needle clattering to the floor snapped him out of his daze. 

How did that happen? The needle was firmly in the guy’s hand one second, but skittering out onto the floor the next. Dick must’ve knocked it out of the man’s hands during his panic attack.

“Sorry.” He half-smiled, hoping to not piss off the crazy man who was currently trying to stitch him up.

“I think we’re done here.” The automated voice said after a second, before reaching for a mask attached to some form of gas container. 

“What? I thought we were just getting started.” Nightwing fought against the man’s hands, shaking his head as much as he could to make it more difficult for his jailer to place the contraption on his head. After a while of being unable to make progress with the contraption, the man whipped out one of his guns and put it against the hero’s head.

Dick laughed, “You wouldn’t stitch me up just to kill me.”

The man remained silent.

Dick looked into the unfeeling black lenses he supposed were the man’s eyes. “Would you?”

The man cocked the pistol.

Dick took a deep breath.

“Fine.”

Hands stained with gun grease and blood maneuvered the mask around his face. Nightwing glared at his captor until the man turned away. He heard the creaking of a gas container opening and funny smelling air filled his lungs. The next thing he knew, he was asleep again.

**Batcave, Outside Gotham City - February 27th (12:35 am)**

Tim jumped out of the Batmobile before Barbara even had a chance to put it in park. It had been a long three days, but Robin and Batgirl had finally finished putting all the escapees back in Arkham. Now he could start the search for his missing brother. He couldn’t wait another minute. He ran through the dark echoing halls of the batcave, settling down in front of the enormous computer on the far wall. Just as he was about to turn the hunking machine on, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“Master Timothy,” the british butler prodded sternly, “Before you begin working yourself further into complete exhaustion, I believe I have something to show you.”

Tim glanced at the butler, then back at the computer screen, then at the butler again. He didn’t want to make Alfred angry because he knew how much Alfred mattered to Bruce and Dick and their nighttime activities, but at the same time, every second Tim wasted was a second Dick could be coming closer to death. And Tim had wasted so much time already. He was about to tell Alfred he would do it later, but the butler interrupted him before he could get the words out.

“I assure you, it will take but a moment of your time.”

Tim took one last longing glance at the computer screen in front of him, before begrudgingly getting out of the chair. “Okay.” he mumbled.

Alfred led him through the twisted tunnels of the immensely large batcave and into an unfamiliar section of the place. Tim paused, “Where are we Alfred?” 

The butler didn’t even bother to turn around to answer, “The old infirmary.”

“Why…” Tim began to ask, but his words died in his throat because there he was. Dick. Alive. Strapped down to a bed in the room in front of Tim’s very eyes. He was here. He was mostly unharmed. “How?” his head supplied the question before his brain had time to process the words.

“I haven’t the slightest clue.” The Butler sighed.

“The cameras have been down in this section for years.” Barbara, who had somehow materialized in the way that only bats do, supplied.

“Can I…” the words died again. Why was speaking so hard today?

“Yes. I have already been in to do a preliminary check, and apart from a few new scars, Master Dick looks to have come out of the whole ordeal relatively unharmed. Visitors are welcome and encouraged.” he paused before adding thoughtfully, “The lad always seems to recover faster with people around.”

Tim didn’t wait for any more confirmation before grinning. He quickly opened the hermetically sealed door and dashed forward to hug his brother, who was just beginning to wake. Barbara would’ve followed him, but something in Alfred’s demeanor told her everything was not as it seemed.

“Alfred?” She asked, putting a hand on the older man’s arm, “What aren’t you telling us?”

The butler paused for a moment, as if weighing options, before slowly beginning to speak, “Miss Gordon, when I discovered Master Dick here in the cave, his wounds had already been tended to.”

Barbara nodded, “Well, it’s not likely he got here by himself.”

“You misunderstand.” The butler prodded, “His wounds had been tended to with supplies from the cave.”

Barbara’s heart stopped momentarily, “We have a security breach.”

“Indeed.”

**Mount Justice, Happy Harbor - January 27th (12:35 am)**

_ Robin -B01 _

The electronic voice of the Zeta tube rang out in the large empty cave. Except it wasn’t Robin who materialized at the entrance. This figure was far too large to be the scrappy kid who was always armed with a bow staff and incredibly logical solution. No, this figure was armed with guns, blood stained hands, and a helmet. Immediately after materializing, he glanced around the wide open space. Desolate, lonely, abandoned. Good.

He confidently stepped up to the computer system, once again entering Robin’s access codes, and began his search. One word entered the bar, “Batman”, thousands of documents came up on the system. He sorted them by most recent addition, and clicked on the first one he saw. But the picture that came up was not Batman. No, it was Nightwing dressed in a Batman suit. Of course. He slammed his fist on a metal table, the sound rang out through the cave’s many corridors. 

It was only a matter of time before someone came to check on it. He opened up the security system and deleted the footage and zeta records, before heading towards the waterside exit. He was too busy in his own thoughts to realize what was in front of him when he stumbled over the holographic statue of the late Robin. He paused for a moment in front of the kid, hand reaching out to touch his too young face. But he snatched it away quickly and dove into the water like it was his second home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, I'm taking a quick break from this series for now. I'll probably come back to it in a week or two, I'm just still trying to figure out a nice relationship between writing and working and college. But I have a couple of Batfam one-shot's I'll be uploading next week, so if you guys want to go check them out that would be cool. If not, I hope this chapter gave you guys some more to chew on. I love seeing all your comments, and thanks for the interest in this work. It means a lot!   
> See you guys next update!  
> -U.Z.


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